Starry Night
by Darkness-Gaara
Summary: Shikamaru and Ino sit alone on a starry night. Love seems to bloom. Will Tsunade's forever lasting feelings for Nawaki and Dan get in the way of her job to protect the leaf? Ino and Shikamaru face unbearable uncertainty. Can they try and lose their fear?


Shikamaru stared at the clouds. He was happy today, Asuma had gone out for a mission and now he had the whole day to himself. He sat in the meadow, as usual, he was thinking. He heard Ino's obnoxious voice in the air. "Possum?! Where are you?" Shikamaru yelled, giving himself away, "My name is not possum!" Ino said, "So there you are! I was wondering if you wanted to go with me and Chouji to the Ichiraku Noodle Bar." Shikamaru said, "Sure." As long as Chouji was there to break the ice, he had nothing to worry about. He got up and began to follow Ino. He looked at her cropped hair, remembering how she cut it, to prove herself. He said quietly, "You didn't need to cut it..." He was mumbling. After all, why wouldn't he? He was a lazy kid. Ino turned around, "I guess it was time for a change." Shikamaru said, "I'm soooo sure about that." Ino ignored his comment, not setting off on a rampage as usual. Shikamaru was suspicious. What was wrong with her? They finally were at the Noodle Bar. Shikamaru took his usual place right next to Chouji. He whispered, "What's wrong with Ino?" Chouji replied, "Sasuke is gone from the village now, so she's depressed." Shikamaru nodded in understanding. Chouji said, "3 bowls o-" Ino cut him off, "I'm not hungry." Shikamaru said, "Ino, you have to eat. Are you trying to slim down for that jerk, Sasuke again?" Ino said, "He's not a jerk!" Shikamaru said, "If he wasn't then why would he leave? Well? If you love him so much, you must know the answer!" Ino yelled, "Shut up!" and stormed off. Shouji said, "I think you made her angry," as he was slurping up his ramen. He said to Chouji, "You can have mine, something tells me I won't be left peacefully tonight." Shikamaru left into the dark of the outside, he heard some sniffling. "Ino? Is that you?" "Go away!" Shikamaru shut himself up, he knew he had hurt Ino's feelings. Shikamaru said, "C'mon. You don't need to love a jerk like him. Do you really love him?" Ino paused at this question. Shikamaru continued, "C'mon, stop crying. Crying won't bring him back. You can even call me possum if it'll make you feel better." Ino began to stop her sniffling. Shikamaru handed her a Kleenex, to make her stop crying, and so he could get this over with and go home. Ino said, "Thanks Shikamaru." Shikamaru said, "Goodnight Ino." They walked seperate ways going home. Later that night Shikamaru lay in his bed. He couldn't sleep. He hit his head against the bedpost trying to make himself black out. He hit it real hard this time, on accident. He passed out on the bed asleep.   
  
That Morning Shikamaru grumbled sleepily as he woke up. He put his hair in the messy ponytail like he always did. Shikamaru walked downstairs into the kitchen in his fishnet shirt. He chomped on the bowl of cereal given to him. Slurping up the milk and putting on the remainder of his everyday-ensamble he said, "I'm going, bye." He shut the door. He sighed, ever since the attack from the sand, Asum had been gone on many missions. He had many days to himself, he didn't think it would be this lonesome already. Shikamaru sighed as he layed his back against a tree. What were Ino and Chouji doing? He wondered. Ino. He remembered how she was crying over how Sasuke had left the village. He murmured, "Women... how troublesome." Shikamaru sighed again. He heard Ino's voice in the distance, "Shikamaru! Come on! Asuma is gone again! Lets hang out!" Shikamaru said, "Where's Chouji?" Ino relied, "He's sick, so its just you and me." Shikamaru stiffened a bit, he was hanging out with a girl, he wasn't as uncomfortable as most boys would be, but he was still uncomfortable. Ino sighed. Shikamaru said, "Still worried?" They walked towards the field where Shikamaru usually lay to look at the clouds. They arrived. Shikamaru sprawled on the warm, moist grass. Ino said, "Why do you look at the clouds so much?" Shikamaru said, "Well... I see certain things, that I know... I will never see in reality..." Ino layed down on the ground with a big 'Fwump!' She said, "Mind if I join you?" Shikamaru said, "Sure." Ino felt her heart thumping, this was Shikamaru for crying out loud! It was now turning dark. The two didn't mind. Shikamaru said, "The stars are beginning to show, and the clouds are leaving..." Ino was seeing various shades of blue, purple, orange, yellow, "You were right about the clouds..." Soon... all the stars lit up in the sky. Shikamaru's gaze was intent. Ino looked at his big brown eyes. They sparkled a bit. Shikamaru was feeling a bit wierd. He was... spending time... with Ino? This was something not usual. She was even doing something he liked, and she was enjoying it? Shikamaru said, "Why do you care so much about how you look?" Ino said, "Because I wanted to look good for Sasuke-Kun..." Shikamaru said, "He's gone, why do you still do it?" Ino said, "I don't really know... it's a bad habit of mine..." Shikamaru said, "It's a habit, not a bad one. I don't mind." Ino said, "Thanks." Ino was silent, her eyes were staring at the moon. Shikamaru looked, it was reflecting off her eyes. Shikamaru was quiet too. It was dark. He didn't even seem to care....  
  
They continued. Ino flipped over on the grass. She wasn't tired. Shikamaru was still looking at the moon. Ino said, "Why does everything have to end? I want time to stand still today... now I see why you spend so much time looking at clouds." Tsunade was out taking a stroll. She heard something, but at this hour? She looked up at the field, seeing Shikamaru and Ino. It seemed the day wasn't over for them. They were talking. Tsunade reacalled when she and Dan once talked like this, tears slid down her cheeks... Dan... he sure wasn't ever lazy like Shikamaru... but they thought the same in strategy. Ino however... was just like Tsunade herself. Ino looked at Shikamaru. The moon reflected against Ino's sudded tears. Was she crying? She was. Shikamaru said, "Ino.... why don't you forget about something that won't come back?" Ino said, "Because even if I try... he would never come back for me... because he never loved me..." Shikamaru said, "I wonder... what separates us from leaving ourselves? Is it a certain attachment of mutual feeling? Or is it the fact that we need to stay? Or... is it... our knowing... that someone still cares... and really would stay... if you would too... for that certain person..." Ino said, "I don't know... I think... it was his need to be strong... that's why he left..." Shikamaru said, "Why must someone be strong? I never seemed to understand it... why does fate seem to be different for everyone else..." Ino said, "It's the fact... that if someone will always stay by your side..." Shikamaru then said, "Ino... I'm scared..." Ino said, "What?" Shikamaru said, "I'm scared... I don't know what will happen.... tommorow... next week.... it's an unbearable uncertainty..." Ino said, "Life doesn't take you where you want it to really be..." "I know... but it's the thought of what would happen... but you never really are cautious of that fact..." Ino says smiling, "It's life... everyone's goes in a different direction... anything at all can happen... you can't predict..." Shikamaru said, "You know? It's wierd without Chouji here... or Asuma to command us... we're alone... it's like... it is... something great... something that I actually don't want to stop... like you said Ino.... I want time... to stand still..." Ino said, "Shikamaru... why do I feel the exact same way?" Shikamaru flipped on his side, he was now facing Ino. "Because... I think... that... if a night lasts once... a feeling lasts forever... is this that feeling?" Ino and Shikamaru were so close, Ino could feel his breath. Ino said, "Shikamaru... if you were to hear me say.... that I didn't love Sasuke-kun.... how would you feel?" Shikamaru said, " I would feel... I would feel... happy..." Ino said, "Shikamaru... you are the one... who would never mind someone's laughing or taunting..." Shikamaru said, "It's because... I don't think it ever really hurt." Ino said, "Shikamaru... how do you bear it?" Shikamaru said, "As you said... Yamanaka Ino... it... it's life... and now... at this point... nothing really can hurt..." Tsunade murmured, "Dan..." and walked away. Ino then said, " I... I'm glad... but the question is... how long can this feeling last?" Shikamaru said smiling, "It's not just a "feeling... and that's a silly question... love lasts forever..." 


End file.
